Bank of America Mobile Point of Sale vs Helcim

Bank of America Mobile Point of Sale combines the BofA Point of Sale Mobile app with the Mobile Card Reader D135 for mobile payment processing and sales reporting. Customers can pay by magnetic stripe, EMV, contactless Visa or Mastercard, signature debit, cash, or check recording, then receive receipts by email or text. The app brings Business Advantage and Merchant Services account management together. Use requires a Bank of America Merchant Services account and a Bank of America business checking account, with funds settled into that checking account; Business Advantage 360 enrollment is required for a Merchant Services account. The reader works with a compatible merchant-supplied iOS or Android phone or tablet. Listed rates are 2.65% + 10¢ per in-person sale, 3.50% + 15¢ for keyed payments, and 2.99% + 30¢ online. The D135 costs $109.00 once; its charging base costs $87.00 once.

Helcim provides businesses with payment processing tools for in-person and online sales, invoices, and virtual-terminal transactions. Its tools include point of sale, online checkout, payment links, recurring payments, invoicing, a customer vault, and an inventory catalog. In-person payments support major payment types such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Eligible merchants can also accept ACH through invoicing, recurring payments, payment requests, and the Virtual Terminal. Helcim lists integrations with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and WooCommerce, as well as its API and HelcimPay.js for custom integrations and website payments. The Card Vault tokenizes stored payment details for future or recurring payments, while Helcim says it protects cardholder data with AES-256 encryption and TLS 1.2 or higher in transit. It identifies itself as a PCI Level 1 Service Provider. The POS app is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, with listed device requirements. The processing plan costs nothing, with no account monthly fees; transaction rates vary by volume and payment method.